CORE COMMITMENT: About the projects

By Jason Scott,
January 18, 2013 at 10:00 AM
- Last modified: January 18, 2013 at 10:32 AM

Real estate investors outside Central Pennsylvania are not exactly knocking down the door to get into Harrisburg.

The city's financial saga — $340 million of incinerator debt and lingering structural issues that threaten to continue driving up the cost of business — has helped put the brakes on that.

But that doesn't mean the city is not open for business or that committed investors with an interest in neighborhood development and community revitalization have gone away.

Take a look at some of Harrisburg developers' recent projects.

HU student housing

Lower Allen Township-based Brickbox Enterprises Ltd. is actively creating student housing in several mid-rise buildings downtown along Market Street across the street from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Little Amps Coffee Roasters

Little Amps Coffee Roasters anchors a corner in the Olde Uptown neighborhood in Midtown Harrisburg. WCI Partners LP owns and leases the building that houses the coffee shop owned by Aaron Carlson. Plans are in the works for a second location near State and Second Street in Harrisburg.

Barto Building

Brickbox Enterprises Ltd. is redeveloping the former Barto Building. Fifty condominium units are planned for the former office building on North Third Street across from the state Capitol complex.

HACC student housing

Harrisburg-based GreenWorks Development LLC is partnering with Harrisburg Area Community College to create student housing near HACC'S Midtown 2 campus.

Olde Uptown neighborhood

Since about 2005, WCI Partners LP has been buying and renovating mostly residential properties in Harrisburg's Olde Uptown neighborhood. WCI's work in that neighborhood has helped add $30 million to property values in an area once riddled with abandoned and decaying homes.

Furlow Building/COBA Apartments

Last year, working in tandem as Furlow Partners Inc., Brickbox Enterprises Ltd. and Harrisburg-based GreenWorks Development LLC completed the redevelopment of the historic Furlow Building in Midtown Harrisburg. The Furlow building, once a commercial bank, was built in 1908. Redeveloped as COBA Apartments, the façade was restored to resemble its early 20th-century look. The interior of the building, which is in the Keystone Opportunity Zone, was completely gutted to create 24 apartments and first-floor retail space.

Northern gateway

New streetlights line recently widened Seventh Street between Reily and Maclay streets — an area known as the northern gateway — in Harrisburg. The $6.5 million improvement project could help spur future development in the Midtown area.

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Jason Scott

Jason Scott covers state government, real estate and construction, media and marketing, and Dauphin County. Have a tip or question for him? Email him at jasons@cpbj.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JScottJournal.
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